Surprise
by KaptenKramp
Summary: Oneshot. Beth licked her lips, wondering how she was supposed to advance the subject she wanted to, /needed/ to bring up. Merle didn't know yet and he had to find out sooner than later. "Um," she began, "I-… I have a surprise for you, too."


**I'm not sure I'm happy with this oneshot, but I needed to get it out of me and it was a nice creative release, I guess. Merle can be very OOC, depending on how you look at it. I had to warn, anyway. Also, Beth and Merle are already in an established relationship.**

**Och varsegod!**

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Beth stared down at the pink glass-canister in her hand. It looked completely out of place. She had found it under the chair in her cell and it had been placed too deliberate to have been a mistake. There was no doubt about it; it had been placed there with the intention of her finding it.

Opening the lid and holding the perfume closer to her nose, a thick, fresh scent of strawberries invaded her senses. It was the sweetest scent she had smelled for what felt like years. It seemed almost other-worldly to her now.

A smile tugged at the corners of her lips. She didn't have to be a rocket scientist to know how it got there. A rush of joy went through her and a melodious chuckle escaped her when she realized this gesture was a conscious effort to make her happy. She cradled the pink glass-canister against her chest as the sparkling, euphoric tingles settled into a warm, pleasant awareness.

Beth didn't flinch when a pair of strong, thick arms wrapped around her from behind, pressing her back against a hard chest. Merle took a deep breath through his nose, inhaling Beth's natural and familiar scent. "Why ya hidin' up in 'ere, all my yer onesies, sugar-tits?"

Beth rolled her eyes at the nickname. He would never stop with the nicknames, would he? Merle chuckled as if he knew what she was thinking.

A moment of pleasant silence settled over them and Beth let her eyes fall shut, content with holding the perfume against her chest with one hand, while the other one had wrapped around his arm.

"Ya like it?"

Another smile stretched over her lips when she noted the faint trace of excitement in his voice, like he was trying to hide that he wanted to know if he'd accomplished what he had set out to. Holding out the perfume again, her eyes roamed over the glass shape and the rainbow like effect it had on its content. With a deep breath and a content sigh she leaned back against him, letting him carry some of her weight. "Yeah…"

His arms tightened around her and he hummed into her ear, stubble brushing against her lobe. A pleasant shiver ran down her spine and she tried to hide it, but when his left thumb caressed the side of her waist she knew he had felt it.

Standing like this in his arms would have some time ago seemed like the most unlikely thing to ever happen. In fact had it ever been suggested, Beth probably would have wrinkled her nose at the idea of being together with a hard, brutal man like Merle. Little did Beth know that fate decided differently when this whole thing started. Now, standing with his protective arms around her seemed like the most organic thing. It felt natural and right, and she couldn't imagine herself being with anyone else like this.

"What'r ya thinkin' 'bout?"

"Us."

"That right?" He nibbled the skin of her neck, gently.

Beth squirmed a little as the chuckles bubbled up her chest. "Merle, _stop_. What if someone walks by?"

"Even better. Get ourselves an audience. Hell, maybe we could educate my balless mike of a baby brother."

He was interrupted by the back of Beth's hand landing on his chest with a smack and he couldn't hold back the snicker that had threatened to escape him the minute the words had left his mouth.

"Merle Dixon, don't you talk like that!"

The chuckles kept coming and he hid his face in the crook of her neck. He always liked it when she became defensive like this, always wanting to reprimand him when he said something rude.

"What? Can't help he ain't got the balls to break in that woman. S'worse enough he's ogling her everywhere she goes, following her around like a damn puppy. I have ta _watch_ it! It's pathetic."

She braced her feet on the ground and pushed back against him, even though it hardly had any effect on his mountain of a body. "What did I just say?"

With a hum of amusement he placed an uncharacteristically chaste kiss on her cheek. "You're right, sweetness, and I do apologise. Forgot yer virgin ears there for a second."

Beth snorted. She wasn't a virgin anymore. He knew that for a fact, too. He always teased her about the way she still felt uncomfortable with cursing or saying bad things about people. But it had also become one of the things he appreciated about her; despite all the evil that had seemed to engulf the world, she still refused to let it corrupt _all_ of her.

Beth turned around in his arms, placing her hands and the perfume against his chest. "You think you're real funny, don't you?"

The soft smile that inevitably spread over her pink cheeks told him everything he needed to know.

"Got you ta smile, didn't I?"

His own thin lips stretched into the kind of fond smile that was exclusively meant for her eyes and Beth's fingers closed around the fabric of his wife-beater as she melted. She felt almost breathless, watching him like this. They had already been together several times and he still managed to make her knees shake and her skin tingle.

She leaned forward, bending her head back, offering herself to him. Her eyes fluttered closed but she opened them again when she felt the hand on her hip and the weight of the item in her hand disappear.

"Need all yer attention, don't I?" he mumbled when he placed the perfume down on the chair and noticed her quizzical glance.

"I-" She never had the chance to finish her sentence before he tipped her head back with a finger under her chin and sealed her lips with his own.

She knew it was too soon and she felt almost embarrassed about it but the act, the small gesture of possessiveness from his part made a thrill of tremors run through her body, causing a soft moan to slip out between her lips.

The corners of his mouth tugged into a smirk against her lips and he let his hand move down to the small of her back, pressing her tighter against him and forcing her head to dip further. He took charge, deepening the kiss, pressing his hot, wet tongue into her hungry mouth. Beth allowed her free hands to crawl up his chest, circling around his neck to gain leverage. She got up on her toes and bit his bottom lip, earning a soft purr from the man.

Beth thought she heard someone shuffle casually across her cell opening, followed by a gasp and then quicker shuffles of feet that faded with the distance, but she didn't care. It wasn't a secret that Merle and Beth were seeing each other. The day it had come out no one had taken it well and her family had tried to talk her out of it, but Beth had made her mind up. She wanted Merle or no one. They were concerned for her wellbeing and she understood that, but she had gone through too much with Merle to deny the bond that had grown between them. He showed her how to be strong, he had showed her that her strength already was inside her but gave her the tools to use it, and Beth had made Merle feel more appreciated and safe than he ever expected to feel with anyone, especially from someone like her. For Beth, it wasn't appreciation based on any need; it was need to have him as her friend because she appreciated him. From there it had grown into something more. There had been a period during their affair that Beth had been nervous about how invested Merle was in their relationship, but eventually he had made it clear that she meant more to him than any other woman had ever been with. He hadn't told her he loved her yet, but Beth knew without doubt that he at least cared for her.

The day Merle had convinced her father was the day walkers had breached into the prison. As soon as Beth had heard about the breach she had run into a room to collect Judith only to be ambushed by the dead. That day, Merle had gone through countless walkers, more than what any one person should have been able to handle alone, to get Beth and Judith safe. Hershel knew then that Merle would do anything to protect her.

"I love you," she whispered when their lips had parted and their foreheads were resting against each other.

He didn't say anything, and it was okay. His thumb brushed against her cheek and he covered her mouth with a short chaste kiss before settling into the comfortable silence again.

"Thank you," she whispered again. She didn't want to question his spoiling her, but the question did remain unanswered. After all, such an item wasn't easy to get a hold of nowadays. At least not without risking your life. "Why, though?"

"It's Christmas."

Beth snorted. "It's not Christmas."

"It is 'cause I say it is."

She chuckled. "I'm pretty sure that's not how it works."

"Does now."

A moment of silence.

Beth licked her lips, wondering how she was supposed to advance the subject she wanted to, _needed _to bring up. Merle didn't know yet and he had to find out sooner than later.

"Um," she began, "I-… I have a surprise for you, too."

He scowled slightly when he didn't the miss the hint of nervousness in her voice. "Is that a fact?" He let his thumb glide over her cheek once more before he straightened his back and looked down at her to give her a chance to speak.

She kept her eyes steadily locked with his as she covered the back of his hand with her own and brought it to her lips, pressing her soft lips against the callous texture of his palm. "Close your eyes," she said softly and he did as she asked without question.

He heard a small ruffle of fabric before he felt her move his hand down until his palm covered her warm skin. He opened his eyes, staring down at his hand that was now resting against her stomach. She was staring up at him with anticipation but it took a few seconds until realisation flashed through his eyes and they snapped up to lock with hers again. His mouth fell open and Beth nodded, tearing up at his unspoken question.

"I didn't know for sure," her voice was quivering now. "I mean, I've skipped months before, it's not something new to me, but I've- I've _grown_, Merle."

He knew what she meant. Silently, he let his hand move over her stomach and he didn't know how he had missed the subtle hint of the growing lump before, it seemed to stare right back at him now.

"Please say something."

He met her eyes again, swallowing the lump that had gathered in his throat. "Angel. Beth."

A tear fell down her cheek and he brushed it away with his thumb, palm on her cheek. His eyes bounced between hers. Merle knew he wasn't a gentle man. With her, he could be, but Beth put him in his place. She didn't cower from him. The same couldn't yet be said by their unborn child. Merle had never been cut out to be a father and he didn't want to bring one into this world, only to put him or her through the same pain he had been put through during his childhood. He'd never hurt his kin, but the feeling, the looming shadow of his own father was still there with the scars on his back.

The hues of her eyes seemed to look right into his soul, at that moment and Merle had never felt so exposed and safe at the same time. She needed him and whether he liked to admit it or not, he needed her, too. Merle swallowed, and a decision he would have never had the courage to make before flashed through his eyes.

Beth held her breath.

He nodded. "We can do this."

She closed her eyes with relief, hand going around his arm as if to steady herself.

Merle chuckled almost bitterly. "Did ya think I would get mad?"

"Well, I wasn't sure you were going to jump around at the idea."

Her eyes flickered over his face, shame suddenly washing over her. She should have given him more credit than that. Truth was she felt more terrified and vulnerable than ever.

Merle licked his lips, squeezing her elbow. Somehow he just felt the need to be constantly be connected with her now, even if he was just touching her skin. "We'll deal with it, babe. It ain't gonna be easy, but we'll deal with it."

"It's not. What am I going to tell the others? Dad. _Maggie._" Maggie had seen what happened to Lori after all.

Beth quirked a brow when a crooked smug, smirk grew on his face. "I'll break it down to 'em."

With that he bent down, pressing a lasting kiss on her forehead before he turned around and walked towards the end of the perch. "Daryl!"

Beth felt the blood rush up to her face. Oh boy.

It was silent for a few seconds before they heard his raspy voice, "_What?_" He sounded almost annoyed, as if he'd been interrupted in the middle of something important.

"Congratulations, Daryleena," he called out for the whole cellblock to hear. "You're gonna be an Uncle!"

"Knock that shit the fuck off, Merle! Ain't got time for yer stupid games. Take ya dumb shit elsewhere and relieve the rest of us of yer presence, _lord_."

Beth felt oddly flattered that Daryl was defending her's and her family's honour. Everyone knew Merle loved to tease and poke, Daryl more than anyone.

"Daryl," Merle called again, his voice lower but stronger this time. It had an edge of seriousness to it that made the hairs on Beth's arms stand on end.

A moment of silence.

Daryl came into view, squinting up at Merle as if he was trying to make out what he was seeing. When Beth came up behind Merle and came to a stop beside him, Daryl's eyes flickered over both of their faces. It was all he needed to see to confirm it. His mouth fell open. "Well, _fuck_."

As if on cue, everyone stopped what they were doing. Their eyes went to Daryl and then to Beth and Merle. "Surprise," Beth mumbled almost inaudibly. She couldn't see Maggie but her father was sitting down at a bench beside Glenn, staring up at her. A streak of guilt ran through her. They could have at least told her father about it before Merle decided to tell the world.

"Subtle," Beth mumbled, nudging Merle on the side with her elbow.

"Never said I was going ta be, sweetness."

"You do realize my dad is going to want to speak to us later, right?"

He hooked his good arm around her waist, hand over her stomach. "Yes, ma'am. I keep him distracted while you hide his shotgun."

She chuckled. "I think it's a bit too late for that now, and even he knows it."

With that, Merle bent his head, hand drawing circles on her stomach while he whispered something in her ear that made Beth's cheeks tint red and look like she was just about ready to melt.

Daryl watched the exchange and almost blushed at how intimate they were being in the open. With a crooked smirk, he shook his head and retreated back into his cell.

_Nice going, bro._

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**So. Send me all your thoughts in da boom box bellow!**

**What did you like?  
What did you hate?  
What could have been left out?  
What did you miss?  
What was perfect?  
What was your favorite line?  
What made the most impression on you?**

**I don't mind critique, guys. As long as it's not rude.**


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